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The "grand finale" of the 2016 Sydney Taylor Book Award Blog Tour is a virtual panel discussion amongst the various winning authors and illustrators. As always, this roundup is hosted by Barbara Krasner at The Whole Megillah.
The participants made comments about the experience like "Always inspiring to be included in a group of such accomplished, thoughtful authors and illustrators!" (Leslie Kimmelman), "It's wonderful to read all the blogs!" (Kathy Kacer), and "It has been an honor and a privilege getting to know all of you. See you in Charleston!" (Heidi Smith Hyde). We hope to see you as well, dear reader, in Charleston at the51st Annual Association of Jewish Libraries conference where the Sydney Taylor winners will receive their awards!
Catching up from WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2016 Shanghai Sukkah by Heidi Smith Hyde, illustrated by Jing Jing Tsong Sydney Taylor Honor Award winner in the Younger Readers Category At Kristi's Book Nook Author & Illustrator Interviews
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016 Everybody Says Shalom by Leslie Kimmelman, illustrated by Talitha Shipman Sydney Taylor Honor Award winner in the Younger Readers Category At Book Q&A's with Deborah Kalb Author Interview
Stones on a Grave by Kathy Kacer Sydney Taylor Honor Award winner in the Teen Readers Category At Randomly Reading Author Interview and Book review
0 Comments on #STBAblogtour16 DAY FOUR as of 1/1/1900
The Hired Girl by Laura Amy Schlitz Sydney Taylor Book Award winner in the Teen Readers Category At The Prosen People Author interview
We're not sure what happened to the the interview on Shanghai Sukkah that was supposed to appear at Kristi's Book Nook today - we hope Kristi is okay and we'll bring you the interview ASAP. In the meantime, here is the Jewish Book Council's interview on The Hired Girl!
Two more stops on the Sydney Taylor Book Award Blog Tour today, another gold medalist and another silver. Be sure to check out yesterday's interviews onKetzel, the Cat Who ComposedandSerendipity's Footsteps, and get the rest of theblog tour schedule here.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2016
Adam & Thomas by Aharon Appelfeld, translated by Jeffrey M. Green, illustrated by Philippe Dumas Sydney Taylor Book Award winner in the Older Readers Category At Jewish Books for Kids with Barbara Bietz Translator Interview Herevilleby Barry Deutsch Sydney Taylor Honor Award winner in the Older Readers Category At Jewish Comics Author-illustrator interview
0 Comments on #STBAblogtour16 DAY TWO as of 2/9/2016 11:04:00 AM
Today kicks off the 2016 Sydney Taylor Book Award Blog Tour, a virtual book tour for authors and illustrators of this year's gold and silver medalists. Check back each day for new interviews, or wait until the end and read all the interviews at once! Find the entire blog tour schedule here.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2016
Ketzel the Cat Who Composed by Lesléa Newman, illustrated by Amy June Bates Sydney Taylor Book Award winner in the Younger Readers Category At Ann Koffsky's Blog
The Sydney Taylor Book Award will be celebrating and showcasing its 2016 gold and silver medalists with a Blog Tour, February 8-12, 2016! Interviews with winning authors and illustrators will appear on a wide variety of Jewish and kidlit blogs. For those of you who have not yet experienced a Blog Tour, it’s basically a virtual book tour. Instead of going to a library or bookstore to see an author or illustrator speak, you go to a website on or after the advertised date to read an author’s or illustrator’s interview.
Below is the schedule for the 2016 Sydney Taylor Book Award Blog Tour. Please follow the links to visit the hosting blogs on or after their tour dates, and be sure to leave them plenty of comments!
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2016
Ketzel the Catby Lesléa Newman, illustrated by Amy June Bates Sydney Taylor Book Award winner in the Younger Readers Category At Ann Koffsky's Blog
Serendipity's Footstepsby Suzanne Nelson Sydney Taylor Honor Award winner in the Teen Readers Category At Bildungsroman
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2016
Adam & Thomasby Aharon Appelfeld, translated by Jeffrey M. Green, illustrated by Philippe Dumas Sydney Taylor Book Award winner in the Older Readers Category At Jewish Books for Kids with Barbara Bietz
Herevilleby Barry Deutsch Sydney Taylor Honor Award winner in the Older Readers Category At Jewish Comics
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2016
The Hired Girlby Laura Amy Schlitz Sydney Taylor Book Award winner in the Teen Readers Category At The Prosen People
Shanghai Sukkahby Heidi Smith Hyde, illustrated by Jing Jing Tsong Sydney Taylor Honor Award winner in the Younger Readers Category At Kristi's Book Nook
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016
Everybody Says Shalomby Leslie Kimmelman, illustrated by Talitha Shipman Sydney Taylor Honor Award winner in the Younger Readers Category At Book Q&A's with Deborah Kalb
Stones on a Graveby Kathy Kacer Sydney Taylor Honor Award winner in the Teen Readers Category At Randomly Reading
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2016
Blog Tour Wrap-Upwith all authors and illustrators At The Whole Megillah
0 Comments on The 2016 Sydney Taylor Book Award Blog Tour as of 1/1/1900
My Grandfather's Coat won the 2015 Sydney Taylor Book Award gold medal in the Younger Readers' Category, and I was thrilled to meet author Jim Aylesworth and illustrator Barbara McClintock, along with their editor, my old friend Dianne Hess, at the Association of Jewish Libraries conference in Silver Spring, MD. The conversation was like a meeting of the Mutual Appreciation Society, because these are three of the nicest people you'd ever want to meet. I'm sure you will enjoy hearing their stories on the creation of this book, which is a new version of the folktale represented by Joseph Had a Little Overcoat (Sydney Taylor silver medal, 1999) and Something From Nothing (Sydney Taylor gold medal, 1992). Bonus Track: You'll also hear Jim Aylesworth's delightful conference session, in which he "walked the walk" by getting librarians to stand in for students in an interactive presentation.
The 2016 Sydney Taylor Book Awards will be announced this month - watch this space for details! AUDIO: Or click Mp3 File (41:21)
I am thrilled to share with the you winners of the 2015 Sydney Taylor Book Awards for Jewish children's and teen literature! A blog tour will feature interviews with gold and silver medalists, February 8-13, 2015 - watch the AJL blog for details. The gold medalists will be presented with their awards at the 50th annual conference of the Association of Jewish Libraries in Washington DC this June. Mazel tov to all the authors and illustrators and their publishers! If you haven't tried it yet, take the Sydney Taylor Buzzfeed Quiz "Which All-of-a-Kind Family Sibling Are You?" Awards committee member Elissa Gershowitz and her Horn Book colleague Shoshana Flax were instrumental in creating the quiz!
Elissa Gershowitz (STBA committee member) with podcaster Heidi Estrin at the 2014 AJL Conference
THE 2015 SYDNEY TAYLOR BOOK AWARDS
ANNOUNCED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF JEWISH LIBRARIES
The Sydney Taylor Book Award Winner for Younger Readers:
My Grandfather’s Coat by Jim Aylesworth with illustrations by Barbara McClintock
(Scholastic Press)
The Sydney Taylor Book Award Winner for Older Readers:
Hidden: A Child’s Story of the Holocaust by Loic Dauvillier & Greg Salsedo with illustrations by Marc LIzano
(First Second, and imprint of an imprint of Roaring Brook Press)
The Sydney Taylor Book Award Winner for Teen Readers:
Storm by Donna Jo Napoli
(a Paula Wiseman Book, published by Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers)
Sydney Taylor Honor Books for Younger Readers:
Goldie Takes a Stand by Barbara Krasner with illustrations by Kelsey Garrity-Riley
(Kar-Ben Publishing, a division of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc.)
Never Say a Mean Word Again by Jacqueline Jules with illustrations by Durga Yael Bernhard
(Wisdom Tales)
Sydney Taylor Honor Books for Older Readers:
Death by Toilet Paper by Donna Gephart
(Delacorte Press)
The Whispering Town by Jennifer Elvgren , illustrated by Fabio Santomauro
(Kar-Ben Publishing, a division of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc.)
Sydney Taylor Honor Books for Teen Readers:
Isabel’s War by Lila Perl
(Lizzie Skurnick Books, an imprint of IG Publishing)
Like No Other by Una LaMarche
(Razor Bill, an imprint of Penguin Group)
Notable Books for Younger Readers:
Anna & Solomon by Elaine Snyder illustrated by Harry Bliss
(Macmillan)
Here is the World by Lesléa Newman illustrated by Susan Gal
(Abrams Books for Young Readers)
The Mitten String by Jennifer Rosner illustrated by Kristina Swarner
(Random House Books for Young Readers)
Rabbi Benjamin’s Buttons by Alice B. McGinty illustrated by Jennifer Black Reinhardt
(Charlesbridge)
Simon and the Bear by Eric Kimmel illustrated by Matthew Trueman
(Disney-Hyperion)
The Story of Passover by David A. Adler illustrated by Jill Weber
(Holiday House)
Notable Books for Older Readers:
Fleabrain Loves Franny by Joanne Rocklin
(Harry N. Abrams)
From Foe to Friend & Other Stories: A Graphic Novel by S.Y. Agnon and illustrated by Shay Charka
(The Toby Press)
I Lived on Butterfly Hill by Marjorie Agosin illustrated by Lee White
(Atheneum Books for Young Readers)
Schools of Hope: How Julius Rosenwald Helped Changed African American Education
by Norman Finkelstein
(Calkins Creek)
Under the Egg, by Laura Marx Fitzgerald
( Penguin Young Readers)
Notable Books for Teens:
Freedom Summer: The 1964 Struggle for Civil Rights in Mississippi by Susan Goldman Rubin
(Holiday House)
Gottika by Helaine Becker illustrated by Alexander Griggs-Burr
Neal Bascomb at the 2014 Association of Jewish Libraries Conference
In honor of Veteran's Day and to show our appreciation for those who strive to keep us safe, let's hear this interview with author Neal Bascomb about The Nazi Hunters: How a Team of Spies and Survivors Captured the World's Most Notorious Nazi. The young adult book, which was based on Bascomb's adult title Hunting Eichman, won the 2014 Sydney Taylor Book Award in the Teen Readers Category. AUDIO: Press the play button to listen to the podcast now: Or click MP3 File
I will be attending BookExpo America this year and I'm very excited!
As in past years, I'll be recording interviews for The Book of Life, and I'll be talking to publishers about the Sydney Taylor Book Award (I'm past chair of the award committee, so I like to promote it whenever I can).
Here's a message from the current awards chair, Diane Rauchwerger, for all you publishers out there:
Entries are now being considered for the 2015 Sydney Taylor Award, which recognizes the best children's literature of Jewish content. We would like to invite you to submit any children's books with a 2014 copyright that meets the criteria below. In order to be considered, a review copy must be sent to each of the nine members of the Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee. No application form is necessary; simply mail the books to each member in a package labeled "Sydney Taylor Book Award Submission."
The awards will be announced in January, 2015. To ensure that the committee has enough time to evaluate all of the submissions, there is no guarantee that books received after November 30, 2014 will be considered for the awards. Please send submissions as soon as they are available. The committee is happy to receive a pre-publication version while waiting for the bound book.
The criteria used to evaluate books for the Sydney Taylor Book Award are:
1. The book has literary merit.
2. The book has positive or authentic Jewish religious or cultural content.
3. The book is appropriate for the intended grade level in style, vocabulary, format, and illustration.
4. Whether fiction or nonfiction, the book is solidly rooted in authentic and accurate detail through scholarship and research by the author.
5. Textbooks and reprints are not eligible, although revised editions and re-illustrated editions are eligible.
You can read about past years' awards at the www.SydneyTaylorBookAward.org, a section of the website of the Association of Jewish Libraries. Please feel free to contact me with any questions. The committee looks forward to evaluating your new books.
Sincerely,
Diane Rauchwerger, Chair Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee The Association of Jewish Libraries [email protected]
0 Comments on The Book of Life at BookExpo America 2014 as of 5/12/2014 10:00:00 AM
Filmmaker Roberta Grossman offered a work-in-progress screening of her documentary on Hava Nagila at the Association of Jewish Libraries 2012 conference in California. Here we have her introductory remarks and the Q&A that followed the screening.The film is now opening in theaters across the country! AUDIO:
Click the play button to listen to the podcast now: Or click MP3 File to open your computer's media player.
On this final day of the Sydney Taylor Book Award Blog Tour, awards committee member Barbara Krasner hosts a roundtable wrap-up at her blog, The Whole Megillah. Read responses from various winners, as if they were participating in a panel presentation at a conference!
Thanks to all the winners for their participation in the blog tour, to all the bloggers for hosting, and to you, the readers, for your enthusiasm and attention!
0 Comments on 2013 STBA Blog Tour: Day 5 as of 2/15/2013 3:25:00 PM
Read an interview with Linda Leopold Strauss, author of The Elijah Door: A Passover Tale (Sydney Taylor Honor Book in the Younger Readers Category) at Pen and Prose! A highlight: "As I was writing the story, I kept hearing the cadence of my grandparents’ Yiddish-speaking voices in my head. The repetition of phrases, the rhythms, the word combinations. And I think their voices also very much informed the way I wrote the story."
Read an interview with Alexi Natchev, illustrator of The Elijah Door: A Passover Tale (Sydney Taylor Honor Book in the Younger Readers Category) at Madelyn Rosenberg's Virtual Living Room! A highlight: "In my artistic education, illustration was really not just for children. In my formative years, art was part of the idealogical system. We were living at that time on the other side of the Iron Curtain so everything was very ideological and politicized. But in the illustration field you could be a little more creative, not so rigidly following certain requirements of clichés and artistic concepts with which you didn’t necessarily always agree."
1 Comments on 2013 STBA Blog Tour: Day 4, last added: 2/15/2013
Read an interview with Sheri Sinykin, author of Zayde Comes to Live (Sydney Taylor Honor Book in the Younger Readers Category) at Read, Write, Repeat! A highlight: "My dearest wish is that Zayde will bring reassurance, peace, and completeness — shalom! — to children just discovering the circle of life they’ve heard sung about in the popular animated movie."
Read an interview with Kristina Swarner, illustrator of Zayde Comes to Live (Sydney Taylor Honor Book in the Younger Readers Category) at Writing and Illustrating! A highlight: "I really didn’t want to make the art too sad or pensive. The ideas evolved as I sketched, and the more I sketched, the more the tenderness and joyfulness of the story came out in the art."
***
PODCAST!
Audio interview with Sheri Sinykin and text interview with Kristina Swarner coming soon on The Book of Life!
0 Comments on 2013 STBA Blog Tour: Day 3 as of 2/13/2013 11:19:00 AM
Read an interview with Linda Glaser, author of Hannah's Way (Sydney Taylor Book Award in the Younger Readers Category) at This Messy Life! A highlight: "This is a story about staying true to one’s traditions but still wanting to “belong.” It’s also a story about ordinary children who, through a simple act of kindness, become heroes. I hope that with the help of the Sydney Taylor Award, Hannah’s Way will reach many more kids and will do its small part to encourage tolerance, acceptance, and kindness."
Read an interview with Adam Gustavson, illustrator of Hannah's Way (Sydney Taylor Book Award in the Younger Readers Category) at Here in HP! A highlight: "I’ve always drawn; my mother was an artist when I was growing up, and my brothers and I drew like most other kids would play ball. It was a big part of how we played together. My father, an engineer, used to come home with art supplies he’d picked up for us on his way home from work. I grew up in the only household for miles and miles where a crisis consisted of my mother trying to find out just who took her kneaded eraser."
Read an interview with Louise Borden, author of His Name Was Raoul Wallenberg (Sydney Taylor Book Award in the Older Readers Category) at Randomly Reading! A highlight: "Young readers have much longer lives ahead of them. I want them to be inspired by this man and by his character and actions. I want kids to know that they too can make a positive difference in the world. I want them to find their own heroes. And I want readers to remember Raoul Wallenberg and to carry his story into their own futures. We are all storytellers - kids will remember a great story and I hope they will tell others and use its power for good in their own lives."
Read an interview with Deborah Heiligman, author of Intentions (Sydney Taylor Book Award in the Teen Readers Category) at The Fourth Musketeer! A highlight: "I wanted to capture that moment in a teen's life when she realizes that someone she adores and even idolizes is flawed. That happened to me in a pretty spectacular way in my community growing up (though not quite as spectacularly as in the book!) and it was a truly painful time. That moment informs who you become I think--because how you deal with it can shape the rest of your life."
0 Comments on 2013 STBA Blog Tour: Day 2 as of 2/12/2013 1:34:00 PM
Ann Redisch Stampler, author of The Wooden Sword (Sydney Taylor Honor Book in the Older Readers Category) at Shelf-Employed! A highlight: "as I researched the Afghani story, learning more about the culture of the Jews who lived with their Muslim neighbors in Afghanistan for a thousand years, I loved it. It was hilarious, but at the same time, its message was profound."
Carol Liddiment, illustrator of The Wooden Sword (Sydney Taylor Honor Book in the Older Readers Category) at Ann Koffsky's Blog! A highlight: "This is a warm story about the Shah’s desire to understand the poor man’s faith. It is a story about tolerance and understanding… I hope that message can be embraced by all."
Doreen Rappaport, author of Beyond Courage: The Untold Story of Jewish Resistance During the Holocaust (Sydney Taylor Honor Book in the Teen Readers Category) at Bildungsroman! A highlight: "I feel I was privileged to learn about so many Jewish children, men and women, who exhibited extraordinary courage and foresight during the nightmare of the Holocaust. I had the privilege of speaking directly with three survivors and forging a friendship with one of them. My research led me into a world I knew nothing about and filled me with enormous pride about these courageous Jews."
0 Comments on 2013 STBA Blog Tour: Day 1 as of 2/11/2013 1:20:00 PM
While attending the 2013 Midwinter Council meeting of the Association of Jewish Libraries, I had the chance to interview Aimee Lurie, chair of the Sydney Taylor Book Award committee. That interview will be podcasted soon. In the meantime, here is the official press release from AJL, announcing this year's winners. ~ Heidi
Linda Glaser and Adam Gustavson, author and illustrator of Hannah’s Way, Louise Borden author of His Name Was Raoul Wallenberg, and Deborah Heiligman, author of Intentions, are the 2013 winners of the prestigious Sydney Taylor Book Award. The awards were announced at the Mid-Winter Meeting of the School, Synagogue and Community Center Division of the Association of Jewish Libraries.
The Sydney Taylor Book Award honors new books for children and teens that exemplify the highest literary standards while authentically portraying the Jewish experience. The award memorializes Sydney Taylor, author of the classic All-of-a-Kind Family series. The winners will receive their awards at the Association of Jewish Libraries Conference in Houston, Texas this June.
Glaser and Gustavson will receive the 2013 gold medal in the Sydney Taylor Book Award’s Younger Readers category for Hannah’s Way, published by Kar-Ben, an imprint of Lerner Publishing. When Hannah’s family relocates to rural Minnesota after her father loses his job, she is the only Jewish student in her class. Hannah worries she will not be able to attend a Saturday class picnic when her teacher arranges a carpool. Her observant family does not ride in cars on the Sabbath. In a delightful display of acceptance and friendship, the entire class chooses to walk with Hannah so she can attend the picnic. Barbara Krasner, a member of the Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee, said: "The Minnesota setting, the Depression timeframe, and a Jewish girl's dilemma all add up to a winning story. Linda Glaser's story and Adam Gustavson's illustrations, both meticulously researched, make Hannah's Way a new classic for young readers." In 2011, Glaser received a Sydney Taylor Honor for her book, Emma’s Poem: The Voice of the Statue of Liberty.
The award in the Older Readers category will be presented to Louise Borden for His Name Was Raoul Wallenberg, published by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. Written in verse, this biography of the Swedish humanitarian highlights his commitment to rescuing Jewish people in Budapest during World War II for readers aged eight to twelve. Teeming with photographs, Wallenberg’s passion for helping others is dramatically portrayed. Committee Chair, Aimee Lurie commented: “His Name Was Raoul Wallenbergshows how the courageous actions of one person, despite tremendous obstacles, can make a difference. Louise Borden's well-researched biography will, without out a doubt, inspire children to perform acts of kindness and speak out against oppression.” In 2006, Borden’s The Journey that Saved Curious George: The True Wartime Escape of Margaret and H.A. Rey was a Sydney Taylor Honor Book for Younger Readers.
Deborah Heiligman will receive the 2013 gold medal in the Sydney Taylor Book Award’s Teen Readers category for Intentions, published by Knopf Books for Young Readers an imprint of Random House, Inc. The loss of innocence Rachel Greenberg, 16, experiences when the adults in her life betray her trust and the relationship with her best friend crumbles is explored in this contemporary novel. Rachel’s home life, once calm, has now become strained; her parents are constantly bickering and her beloved grandmother’s health has deteriorated. Her uncertain home life, pales in comparison to her shattering discovery that her respected rabbi is an adulterer. Although she makes mistakes, Rachel eventually learns to cope with the revelation that no one -- including her parents, friends, and rabbi -- is perfect by relying on lessons learned from her Jewish education. Diane Rauchwerger, member of the Award Committee noted: “Rachel grows in her understanding and strength of character, while struggling with moral issues teens confront every day. Most importantly, she learns to forgive and to act with intention.”
Four Sydney Taylor Honor Books were named for 2013: The Elijah Door: A Passover Tale by Linda Leopold Strauss with illustrations by Alexi Natchev (Holiday House) and Zayde Comes To Live written by Sheri Sinykin and illustrated by Kristina Swarner (Peachtree Publishers) are recognized in the Younger Readers category. The Wooden Swordby Ann Redisch Stampler with illustrations by Carol Liddiment (Albert Whitman & Company) garnered recognition as an Honor Book for Older Readers. For Teen Readers, the honor goes to Beyond Courage: The Untold Story of Jewish Resistance During the Holocaust by Doreen Rappaport (Candlewick).
In addition to the medal-winners, the Award Committee designated thirteen Notable Books of Jewish Content for 2013. More information about the Sydney Taylor Book Award can be found at www.SydneyTaylorBookAward.org.
1 Comments on 2013 Sydney Taylor Book Awards Announced by AJL, last added: 2/9/2013
This is a very nice list of books you have here for the Taylor book awards. A very good thing is that there is a book for a reader of every age group, whether they are adults or much younger. Books are educative and a good way to pass time. While you are having fun reading you are also learning something when you grab a book for a read. Also, a blog dedicated to Jewish books is a neat idea.
Next month the 2013 Sydney Taylor Book Award winners will be announced, but for now we are still celebrating the wonderful winners that were named in January 2012. At the Association of Jewish Libraries annual conference this summer, I did a joint interview with winners Susan Goldman Rubin (Music Was It: Young Leonard Bernstein) and Rob Sharenow (The Berlin Boxing Club). Both were charming and personable, a delight to speak with as they talked about the inspiration for and ties between their two books. AUDIO:
Click the play button to listen to the podcast now:
Or click MP3 File to start your computer's media player.
Left to right: David Hirsch, Reuven Firestone at 2012 AJL Conference
Dr. Reuven Firestone was the opening plenary speaker at the June, 2012 Association of Jewish Libraries conference in Pasadena, CA. He gave a fascinating talk called "Jews in the Koran, Jews on the Koran" to a packed house.
Here is a press release from the Association of Jewish Libraries about the newest winners of the Sydney Taylor Book Award! Please note that The Book of Life has an interview with Barry Deutsch, winner in the Older Readers Category for Hereville, posted below. Interviews with some of the other recognized authors were recorded in 2010 and are in the queue to be released on the podcast in the coming year.
~~~
Howard Schwartz and Kristina Swarner, author and illustrator of Gathering Sparks, Barry Deutsch, author and illustrator of Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword, and Dana Reinhardt, author of The Things a Brother Knows are the 2011 winners of the prestigious Sydney Taylor Book Award.
The Sydney Taylor Book Award honors new books for children and teens that exemplify the highest literary standards while authentically portraying the Jewish experience. The award memorializes Sydney Taylor, author of the classic All-of-a-Kind Family series. The winners will receive their awards at the Association of Jewish Libraries convention in Montreal this June.
Schwartz and Swarner will receive the 2011 gold medal in the Sydney Taylor Book Award’s Younger Readers Category for Gathering Sparks, published by Roaring Brook Press, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing. Both are second time winners. In 1992, Schwartz received the Sydney Taylor Book Award for The Diamond Tree: Jewish Tales from Around the World. Swarner earned the 2008 Sydney Taylor Book Award for her illustrations in The Bedtime Sh’ma: A Goodnight Book by Sarah Gershman.
Gathering Sparks is based on a sixteenth century teaching of “tikkun olam,” or “repairing the world.” Committee member Debbie Colodny commented, “Schwartz spins a calming tale that suggests that the way to bring peace and well-being to our world is by doing good deeds and loving one another... Swarner’s art and Schwartz’s poetic words interpret the concept of the vessel as a fleet of ships outlined in the night sky by millions of starry points of light.”
Deutsch will receive the 2011 gold medal in the Sydney Taylor Book Award’s Older Readers Category for Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword, published by Amulet Books, an imprint of Abrams Books. This is the first graphic novel to win the Award. Committee member Aimee Lurie noted, “Mirka is a clever, headstrong and imaginative heroine who will appeal to a wide audience. Teens who feel like they don’t fit in will have no trouble relating to her balancing what is best for her family versus her desire to fight dragons. Grounded in her religious beliefs, she is willing to put her fantasies aside to celebrate Shabbat. The illustrations strike the perfect balance of showing a realistic Orthodox community, while creating the perfect backdrop for a fairytale.”
Reinhardt will receive the 2011 gold medal in the Sydney Taylor Book Award’s Teen Readers Category for The Things a Brother Knows, published by Wendy Lamb Books, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books. Levi’s older brother Boaz is a military hero, and Levi has always lived in his shadow. Now Boaz is returning from war and it seems everyone thinks Levi is the luckiest boy in town. When Boaz refuses to engage with his family and barely leaves his room, Levi won
1 Comments on 2011 Sydney Taylor Book Awards Announced by the Association of Jewish Libraries, last added: 1/14/2011
The People of the Book really do love libraries! In November 2010, during Jewish Book Month, 30 Jewish libraries participated in Library Snapshot Day. The event, sponsored by the Association of Jewish Libraries, was created to let all types of Judaic libraries record what happens in a day in the life of a library. Across North America, libraries in synagogues, day schools, community centers and universities picked one day during the first two weeks of November to hold the event. Collectively, participating libraries served 3,548 patrons on Library Snapshot Day.
The Activities
From Jewish hubs like Chicago, IL to smaller Jewish communities like Tulsa, OK, from sunny Miami, FL to chilly Montreal, Quebec, Jewish libraries held author visits, study groups, literary and computer quizzes, artist receptions, book discussions, book sales, scavenger hunts, craft projects, parenting programs, charity drives, and children’s story times. Eleven of the participating libraries shared their circulation statistics, revealing that at least 745 books were checked out during Library Snapshot Day.
The Feedback
Every participating library reported overwhelmingly positive feedback from its community. Common themes included praise for the library as a quiet, peaceful environment in which to read and work, kudos for the hard work of librarians (many of whom, apparently, “rock”), and appreciation for the many print and digital resources provided. A patron at North Shore Hebrew Academy High School in Great Neck, NY said “The library is a great place to study and clear your head. I always feel relaxed and very welcomed when I come to the library, and I love the librarian.” A sixth-grader at the Sheila Sporn Library at Valley Beth Shalom in Encino, CA said “Libraries are important because they let people who don’t have enough money get books to read.” A patron of the Brenner Library at Temple Emanuel in Denver, CO drives 150 miles from the mountains to make use of the facilities. Perhaps the general sentiments of library users are best summed up by a patron at the Feldman Library at Congregation B’nai Israel in Boca Raton, FL, who said “The library helps us to continue to be the People of the Book!”
What It All Means
Library Snapshot Day captured the diversity of services offered by Jewish libraries and underscored the importance of libraries in Jewish life. “Libraries and librarians often fly under the radar in their communities,” said Association of Jewish Libraries Vice-President, Heidi Estrin. “We are thrilled that, on Library Snapshot Day, over three thousand people expressed their love of Jewish libraries. We hope that the event will encourage even more people to use these amazing resources year-round.” A slide show of selected photographs submitted by participants may be viewed above and on AJL’s blog “People of the Books” at jewishlibraries.org/blog.
The concept of Library Snapshot Day originated with the American Library Association, of which AJL is an affiliate. Click here for more information on ALA’s Library Snapshot Day.
Please feel free to share this article and/or video on your site or via social networking. You can find AJL online
0 Comments on 3,548 Library Lovers Celebrate Jewish Library Snapshot Day as of 1/1/1900
At the Association of Jewish Libraries 2010 Convention, I organized a panel presentation on book reviewing with Ellen Cole, Kathe Pinchuck, Lisa Silverman, and Rita Soltan.
This post is our online handout, and a record of our presentation. Rita was not able to join us in person, but sent in a Powerpoint to share her thoughts on the difference between writing a review versus an article.
Critical Mass, the blog of the National Book Critics Circle Board of Directors, posted "Reviewing 101" by John Updike in 2006:
Thirty-one years ago, in the introduction to "Picked Up Pieces," his second collection of assorted prose, John Updike laid down his own six rules for reviewing. They are still the single best guide to fairness today:
"My rules," he writes, "shaped intaglio-fa
0 Comments on 2010 AJL Convention Session: Everyone's A Critic as of 7/4/2010 10:10:00 AM
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wonderful presentation re Hava Negila